Add BrightSurf on Google Email

Scientists unveil technique to build ultra-thin material stacks that promise quantum breakthrough

Researchers unveiled a technique to build ultra-clean 2D heterostructures using muscovite crystals, eliminating microscopic residues that disrupt electronic device performance. This method enables precise stacking of atomic layers, leading to new properties and potential breakthroughs in quantum computing and nanoelectronics.

SourceUniversity of Southampton·JournalNature Communications·TypeExperimental study·DateJul 14, 2026

Unveiling the mystery of electron dynamics in the 'quantum tunneling barrier' for the first time

Researchers successfully confirmed long-standing 'electron tunneling' phenomenon, revealing surprising interactions between electrons and atomic nuclei during tunneling. The study's findings have significant implications for advanced technologies like semiconductors, quantum computers, and ultrafast lasers.

SourcePohang University of Science & Technology (POSTECH)·JournalPhysical Review Letters·DateJul 16, 2025

Love your neighbor as yourself: Zinc-centered materials serving as calcium-ion host could be well refined by its closest copper neighbor

Researchers developed Cu/Zn solid-solution phase hosts to overcome electrochemical limitations in multivalent metal ion batteries. The material's layered crystal structure and abundant interlayer confined species provide favorable diffusion pathways for charge carriers.

SourceScience China Press·JournalNational Science Review·TypeExperimental study·DateMar 29, 2025

Light from artificial atoms

Researchers at TU Wien and ISTA have developed artificial atoms made of superconducting circuits that can be tuned to specific energy values. These 'artificial atoms' enable the storage and retrieval of light, opening up new possibilities for quantum experiments.

SourceVienna University of Technology·JournalPhysical Review Letters·TypeExperimental study·DateFeb 17, 2025

Successful experiment paves the way for new element

Researchers at Lund University successfully produced livermorium atoms using a new method, opening the door to creating even heavier elements like number 120. The discovery was made possible by a custom-built detector system called SHREC, which allowed for efficient registration of the atoms.

SourceLund University·JournalPhysical Review Letters·DateOct 24, 2024

Discovery of orbital angular momentum monopoles enables orbital electronics with chiral materials

Researchers at the Max Planck Institute have made a groundbreaking discovery in chiral materials, enabling the creation of orbital electronics. The study reveals that certain materials naturally possess orbital angular momentum monopoles, which can be harnessed for memory devices and other applications.

SourceMax-Planck-Institut für Mikrostrukturphysik·JournalNature Physics·TypeExperimental study·DateOct 1, 2024

New fusion reactions could lead to long-lasting superheavy nuclei with unique properties

Researchers predicted promising reactions for creating double magic nuclei, such as <sup> 298 </sup> Fl and <sup> 304 </sup> 120. These elements could have unique properties and deepen understanding of atomic forces. The study is a step closer to the 'Island of Stability', where long-lasting superheavy nuclei might exist.

SourceNuclear Science and Techniques·JournalNuclear Science and Techniques·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateSep 7, 2024

A time crystal made of giant atoms

Scientists at Tsinghua University and TU Wien have created a time crystal made of giant Rydberg atoms, exhibiting spontaneous symmetry breaking and oscillating light absorption. This breakthrough deepens our understanding of the time crystal phenomenon, offering potential applications in sensors.

SourceVienna University of Technology·JournalNature Physics·TypeExperimental study·DateJul 9, 2024

What is "time" for quantum particles?

Physicists from TU Darmstadt propose a new approach to define and measure the time required for quantum tunneling. They suggest using Ramsey clocks, which utilize the oscillation of atoms to determine the elapsed time. The proposed method may correct previous experiments that observed particles moving faster than light during tunneling.

SourceTechnische Universitat Darmstadt·JournalScience Advances·TypeExperimental study·DateMay 16, 2024

UTA scientists test for quantum nature of gravity

Researchers at UTA used ultra-high energy neutrino particles to search for signatures of quantum gravity, but found no evidence of expected quantum gravitational effects. This non-observation represents a powerful statement about the still-unknown physics operating at the interface of quantum physics and general relativity.

SourceUniversity of Texas at Arlington·JournalNature Physics·TypeObservational study·DateMay 2, 2024

New 2D material with super-heavy electrons

Researchers at Uppsala University and Columbia University have created a new 2D quantum material, CeSiI, with atoms-thin layers of cerium, silicon, and iodine. The material features super-heavy electrons with an effective mass up to 100 times that of ordinary materials.

SourceUppsala University·JournalNature·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateJan 17, 2024

Experimental data validates new theory for molecular diffusion in polymer matrices

Researchers have validated a new theory for molecular diffusion in polymer matrices, explaining how molecules move through complex media. The study found that temperature and molecule size significantly impact transport rates, enabling the design of more selective polymer membranes.

SourceUniversity of Illinois Grainger College of Engineering·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateNov 9, 2022

Structural determination of complex anion materials by an interdisciplinary approach

A team of researchers from Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology developed an analytical tool to investigate the ordering of fluorine in lead titanium oxyfluoride. They used first-principles calculation to analyze experimental results and determined the element substitution positions, finding that fluorine atoms predominan...

Revising a generalized spin current theory for the magnetoelectric effect in multiferroics

The team of researchers from Tokyo Institute of Technology developed a generalized spin current theory that accounts for various multiferroic scenarios and provides a transparent toy model for electric polarization. The study demonstrates how the new theory can effectively rationalize the properties of multiferroic materials.

SourceTokyo Institute of Technology·JournalPhysical Review Letters·DateNov 2, 2021

Chemists provide a new look at the problem of energy efficiency in lithium-ion batteries

A new study refutes a long-standing explanation for low energy efficiency in lithium-ion batteries, suggesting that voltage hysteresis is caused by reversible electron transfer between oxygen and transition metal atoms. This phenomenon could be mitigated through manipulation of electron transfer barriers.

Helium, a little atom for big physics

Researchers have developed methods to calculate the QED correction of helium to the 7th power series, which are the most accurate results to date. Precision measurements of helium atoms also have a broad impact on various important studies, including determining the radius of helium nuclei and calculating polarizability.

SourceScience China Press·JournalNational Science Review·DateSep 28, 2020

Atoms can be in 2 places at the same time

Researchers at the University of Bonn have shown that cesium atoms can indeed take two paths at the same time, contradicting the macro-realistic view. The team's experiment uses optical tweezers to manipulate a single Caesium atom and measures its final position indirectly.

SourceUniversity of Bonn·JournalPhysical Review X·DateJan 20, 2015

Modeling Material Defects From Atoms Up

A new research program at Cornell University is using computer simulations to understand how tiny cracks in materials can grow into major ones. The project, called Multiscale Modeling of Defects in Solids, involves creating models that show how defects at the atomic level can lead to changes at increasingly larger scales.